n. the temptation to step off your career track & become a shepherd in the mountains, following your flock between pastures with a sheepdog and a rifle, watching storms at dusk from the doorway of a small cabin, just the kind of hypnotic diversion that allows your thoughts to make a break for it & wander back to their cubicles in the city. – Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Zelda got a trash can lid stuck around her head this morning. That’s how this day started.

The day progressed with Richmond’s symptoms getting worse enough for me to call a vet & schedule her for an appointment on Friday. Then, towards the evening, Widowmaker started acting off as well. It seems like he has symptoms of colic (not interested in eating, pawing at the ground, laying down a lot & then trying to roll onto his back). I’ve never had a horse with colic in the almost 25 years of having them, so this is just a guess right now. I do know that something is off. He would never miss an opportunity to eat & he’d never let me get this close to him while lying down under normal circumstances. It feels like things are stuck in a domino effect right now.

Today wasn’t a good health day for me, so not so many pictures. Today was a good day for either Lila or Nyx, since one of the two laid her first egg. It was also a better day than yesterday for Odysseus since no one tried to kill him. He looks really bad in the face/head area after that last fight, the tip of his upper beak is trashed. He just doesn’t look that great right now.

Arya surprised Damien this afternoon and sent him straight up onto the roof of the workshop. He’s never gone that high before and I was a little worried he wouldn’t figure out how to get down, but he eventually did after making sure Arya wasn’t outside still.

Memnoch tried to kill Odysseus again. I’m really depressed and not sure what to do at this point. I don’t know what I can afford to do, or realistically do physically, to house them separately. I don’t want to have to kill or sell Memnoch. I feel pretty bad that I wasn’t better prepared to have 2 males after I found out Mem was a he. Although, I do actually have a medical reason for not being able to think ahead or plan ahead. It doesn’t make things any less frustrating. It makes them more frustrating.

Woke up early enough to see Memnoch crowing to Venus while everyone else tried to squeeze in a few more minutes of sleep.

Things have been surprisingly calm in the flock lately. Odysseus is starting to look more like the rooster that showed up on Granny and Grandpa’s porch last October. His tail and wing feathers are coming back in nicely.

He still runs away like his life depends on it when Memnoch goes chasing him.

I wish they would get along again. I don’t want to get rid of Memnoch. He is a very good rooster to the flock and he’s a good rooster towards me. I just can’t have him not getting along with his old man all winter.

Oh my god, I didn’t think she could get more adorable & then she goes & starts laying eggs! I was so sure it was Nyx who had laid the tiny egg. Nope. My little butterball.

Dalton escaped this evening & surprisingly stuck around & didn’t run off. Lila helped me guide her back into the yard. She & Richmond are super not happy with me after yesterday. So, all the work of the past month flew out the window. However, getting rid of parasites is more important right now. I can work on getting them to trust me again.